I thought I’d share some old and new (to me) music I’ve discovered through movies and TV shows I have been watching lately. This isn’t really a “if you like this, you’ll like this…” kind of recommendation since as with my taste in music it can be pretty eclectic and changes with my mood.

Silicon Valley:

I had heard much acclaim about this show for a while and put it on my “To Watch” list but only within this year got around to it because I honestly didn’t see the appeal at first. I had ran out of new things to watch so I finally saw it and then wondered why it took me so long to, because I pretty much binged all 4 seasons within a couple of weeks and watched the latest one as it came out. It is one of the funniest shows I’ve watched in a long time, where I actually laughed out loud. Not only is the show hilarious, but they also have great ending credits songs that juxtaposes their meek, nerdy dispositions with hardcore rock/rap signifying their usual predicament at the end of the show.

This one is an oldie to me since I bought this CD when it originally came out, but still great nonetheless.

Green Day - Minority

This show did introduce me to Run The Jewels and they have featured a couple of their songs already.

Run the Jewels - Blockbuster Night Part 1

DJ Shadow feat. Run the Jewels - Nobody Speak

Another great song/artist I was introduced to:

Clearside - Cop Drama

The Mindy Project:

This was another show I had heard great things about but always put off watching until last year. Again, it was another show I binged instantly and actually laughed out loud while watching, the first few seasons are the best but I still love the show overall. I’ve never watched The Office (both UK and US versions) so this was my first introduction to Mindy and can see why she was a successful writer on the US one. On her show, she also had a great music supervisor, and I believe Mindy chose some of the songs herself.

This is not new to me but is one of my favorite bands and songs so why not share it.

M83 - Midnight City

I liked this nice, toned down Beyoncé song:

Beyoncé - XO

Another not new to me song as it’s been on my workout playlist for a while (hah!) but still great.

M.I.A. - Bad Girls

I had heard this song before but it’s always a great, upbeat tune to pick you up.

This is an oldie, but Hulu just recently added the entire Friday Night Lights series and I have been re-watching it again. You don’t have to like football to enjoy the show - everything from the storytelling, to the characters, to its cinematography and music is why this is probably one of my favorite series ever made. Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.

It introduced me to one of my favorite bands, Explosions in the Sky. Here is the song used in the opening credits.

Explosions in the Sky - Your Hand in Mine

Now onto movies, this has more of a Sci-Fi theme than I was anticipating but maybe it’s what I’ve been drawn to lately.

Blade Runner 2049:

I had only recently watched the first Blade Runner in anticipation of the sequel coming out but also because it was on my “To Watch” list for a while. Despite mixed reviews, I actually enjoyed the first one and I thought the soundtrack helped to tell the story.

I was looking forward to the sequel as I thought the combination of some of my favorite creatives, like the director Denis Villeneuve, cinematographer Roger Deakins (who rightfully won the Oscar for this because it’s visually gorgeous), and actor Ryan Gosling would be a hit. I know some people felt it was a little slow but I think Blade Runner has always been more about the psychological aspect rather than the action.

The soundtrack also helped story tell as with the first and though this track is more the movie’s score and sound effects, the motorcycle (?) sound alone effectively creates a futuristic atmosphere.

Blade Runner 2049 OST - Flight to LAPD

Ex Machina & Annihilation

I am combining these two movies together because they are both by Alex Garland, with similar eerie yet ethereal soundtracks that have been on repeat for me. I saw Ex Machina a while back and even though there was nothing inherently physically terrifying about it, the psychological aspect is what kept me thinking about it for days after I saw it. The soundtrack was composed by Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury. Geoff Barrow is part of Portishead (another of my all time favorite bands), so no wonder he was able to help compose such a haunting and riveting instrumental soundtrack.

A couple of my favorite from the soundtrack:

Ex Machina OST - The Turing Test

Ex Machina OST - Bunsen Burner

When I heard that Alex Garland was behind Annihilation I knew I had to see it. Again, when I was watching it, there was nothing inherently terrifying about it at first (although this movie was a bit more gruesome than Ex Machina). Afterwards when I sat with it a bit, I was so disturbed by it that I couldn’t sleep that night. I can’t really explain why or what but certain scenes coupled with the sounds and soundtrack composed again by Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury, had created an eeriness that I haven’t seen in a long time in movies. Maybe it was the use of “off” sounding elements that helped create this atmosphere.

Here is my favorite song off the soundtrack and possibly the creepiest:

Hope you enjoyed this long winded piece about movies and music and let me know if you want to see more of these kinds of posts in the future and also any movie/music recommendations?

My job has been non-stop busy lately. The upside to that is I get to listen to a lot of music while I work. So I thought I’d share some things that have been in my playlist rotation recently. I discovered a new-to-me artist, Sevdaliza through those random YouTube recommendations. I’m glad I clicked through because, wow - just love everything about her vibe, aesthetics and of course, sound. Her music has a kind of haunting quality to it with certain beats that gave me tingles when I listened to it through my headphones. Below, are some of my favorites so far. If you like her style, I suggest FKA Twigs as she was burning up my playlist for the past couple years and am so glad to have found similar music.

Now for a TV and music recommendation in one - 3 words, Big Little Lies. At first, I was apprehensive about watching as I heard about some of the grim and difficult to watch storylines but I kept hearing so many great things so I gave in. I binge watched this show in a couple days, I was riveted to say the least. The acting, storylines, and cinematography were outstanding. The characters showed human elements in their flaws, which allowed you to connect with them. This is definitely not light fair, but it left a significant impact and will have you thinking about it after it’s over.

Here is the trailer, but don’t base it off of that as it is so much more.

While watching the show, I fell in love with how a lot of the music was so carefully crafted to help tell the story in the most poignant scenes. It was a fantastic mix of classic and modern, I immediately had to go on Spotify and find the soundtrack.

Here’s some of my personal highlights from it:

What are some of your favorites to listen to at the moment? Hope everyone has a great weekend!

My taste in music runs the gamut depending on my mood - from old school gangster hip hop, to metal, to ethereal ambient sounds and pretty much everything in between. Lately, my play button has been worn out by music of the electronic persuasion.

One insomnia fueled night, I went down a YouTube rabbit hole of suggested videos, and it ended in discovering arresting (new to me) electronic/indie artists both musically and visually.

First up is Lorn, an American electronic musician who initially signed with the label that represented Flying Lotus. Talk about being in good company! I like the juxtaposition of aggressive dance moves coupled with the quite haunting track, which I guess goes well with the theme of the car accident. This video also had a bit of critical acclaim to it, winning the UK MVA award for Best Dance Video.

On the suggested list on the side of the previous video, I happened upon this band, Concorde. They are a "indie post punk pop" band hailing from Paris. The visuals actually lured me in first and I was so distracted by the great storytelling like many in the comments stated below, that I didn't really hear the music the first time around.

From a great monochrome animation to another great monochrome animation, this time, it's from Rone, a French electronic artist. Here's where the music syncs perfectly with its visuals, to me I interpret it as the basis from where all religions sprang to the Big Bang and beyond. What do you think it means?

I believe everything happens for a reason and there are no coincidences. I was home on Sunday, sorting out the mess that was my iTunes (I know, thrilling - but it was actually raining in LA so I thought it was the perfect opportunity to cross it off my To Do list). As I was culling down my music to only songs that I wouldn't skip, I went on a trip down memory lane - how I felt and what was going on at the time when those songs were on repeat. It was like going through a photo album of emotions.

One of the albums I had on my iTunes was Toxicity by System of a Down, as a teenager I pretty much wore out that CD. Imagine my delight as I come across this mash up by YouTuber Tocen, of System of a Down's Chop Suey with a perfectly synced Spongebob Squarepants overlay. My two teenage favorites in one! Is this the universe telling me I should go back to being a teenager again?!

A little late in the game to this gem, but amazing none the less. Jamie Foxx claiming he can make any song sexy... including the Brady Bunch theme song. What a talent and voice - he needs to release an album of these.

Catching up on Pogo's genius remixes while I work gets me in a creative, magic, happy mood! I must be in a reminiscing phase - see previous post below... Speaking of Miyazaki again - this is probably my favorite mashup of Pogo's and it's one of my fave Miyazaki's!

[Disclaimer: Megan Matsuoka is a participant in the Society6 curator program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn commission fees by advertising and linking to society6.com. All opinions and selected items are my own choosing.]